A new Montessori school in Drøbak, Norway is one of the latest projects completed by a coalition of architects, engineers, and developers called Powerhouse that is constructing energy-positive buildings.
Their goal is to construct buildings that provide more power over the course of their lifetimes than they cost to build, run and demolish. Powerhouse members are architecture firm Snøhetta, Entra and Asplan Viak, two real estate companies, and Zero Emission Resource Organization (ZERO), a non-profit foundation.
The Norwegian school features solar panels and geothermal wells. The design has to change from “form follows function” to “form follows environment,” says one Powerhouse member.
So far, Powerhouse has retrofitted one building in addition to the school, and is constructing its first purpose-built office building. Other groups are building energy-positive buildings, but none have taken the full life-cycle approach, accounting for construction and demolition, as Powerhouse does.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Jul 5, 2016
State legislature fails to pass law to extend design-build for New York City projects
Would have allowed five city agencies to use alternate delivery method.
Energy | Jun 30, 2016
Energy Department partnership with CoStar Group will study sustainability impact on property valuation
Database will offer rich data set on energy-efficient buildings in the U.S.
Contractors | Jun 30, 2016
Chicago contractor found guilty of fraud on city’s requirement on minority-owned businesses
Alleged to have been sham business in bid to win city public works contract.
Codes and Standards | Jun 29, 2016
OSHA starts evaluation of construction industry noise standards
New studies indicate significant number of construction workers suffer hearing loss.
Seismic Design | Jun 28, 2016
ASTM International updates seismic risk standards
Expected to improve consistency of risk evaluation on commercial real estate transactions.
Codes and Standards | Jun 17, 2016
Feds publish framework for evaluating public-private partnerships
No single factor determines whether a project yields stronger benefit as a P3.
AEC Tech | Jun 17, 2016
Driverless cars could soon start impacting commercial, retail project design
Offsite parking and more space for valet parking lines are among the foreseeable changes.
Codes and Standards | Jun 17, 2016
Bay State moves toward single BIM protocol on state projects
Massport’s guidelines a step forward for integrated BIM initiative.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 14, 2016
San Francisco voters approve tougher affordability requirement on new housing development
Critics charge that the measure may backfire and actually reduce new affordable units.
Concrete | Jun 13, 2016
American Concrete Institute releases new Guide to Shotcrete
Includes information on application procedures, testing.